pliers



June 19, 1956 J E LISBON 2,750,826

' PLIERS Filed June 7, 1955 INVENTOR. Ju/lus 5 L/5ba/7 fc/rfloFFasz/c/g Amy;

United States Patent PLIERS Julius E. Lisbon, Oakland, Calif.

Application June 7, 1955, Serial No. 513,755

3 Claims. (CI. 81-84) This invention relates to pliers or similar gripping implement.

In conventional pliers, it is difficult to grasp either very large or very small objects, although the objects are of a proper size to pass between the jaws of the pliers. In gripping very large objects, the handles of the pliers are so far apart that it is difiicult to get a good grip on the object with one hand, while if the object is very small, the handles are too close together for satisfactory opera tion. Although some aid in this direction is achieved in conventional pliers by means of shifting the pivot point, such means are not always fully satisfactory.

It is the object of the present invention to provide pliers which are made in such a manner that the handles will be poised substantially equidistant from each other in grasping an object, regardless of the size of the object.

It is another object of this invention to provide pliers wherein an automatic adjustment is provided so that it is not necessary for the user to manipulate the pliers in any manner to accommodate objects of various sizes.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred form of pliers is disclosed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application:

Figure l is a side view of the pliers of the present invention, showing the position of the plie rs when the jaws are fully opened and an object is about to be gripped.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the pliers of the present invention in gripping relationship to an object.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the pliers as shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings by reference characters, there is shown a pair of pliers, generally designated 4, having a first handle member 8 and a second handle member 6. The handle 8 is pivoted at 9 to a short arm 7. Also shown is a first jaw member 10 and a second jaw member 12. The pliers are hinged at 14 by means of a rivet or other conventional fastening means. The handle members 6 and 8 are normally held in spaced relationship by means of the barrel spring 16.

The jaw member 10 is integral with handle 6, the parts being made from a single piece of metal. The jaw member 12 includes as an integral part thereof the toothed member 16, the outer portion of which forms a segment of a circle and which has a series of saw-like teeth 18 thereon. The handle 8 includes an arm 20, which extends downward, as is shown, the arm 20 and the handle 8 being made of a single piece of metal. The arm 20 includes a single tooth 22, which is adapted to mate with the teeth 18 of the segment 16. A spring member 23 extends from a pivot point 24 on the arm 20 to a pivot point 26 on the segment 16. It will be noted that a line drawn from pivot point 24 to the pivot point 26 will pass beneath the pivot point 14.

A pivoted arm 28 is also provided on handle member 6 and a mating tooth 30 is provided on arm 20.

2,750,826 Patented June 19, 1956 ice In operation, it is only necessary to place the pliers over an object, 32, and start closing the pliers by squeez ing on the handles 6 and 8. As the jaws 10 and 12 start to close, they do not encounter any resistance and will close rapidly by means of the arm 20 exerting pressure on the segment 16 through the spring 23. As the jaws encounter resistance from the object 32, the spring 23 will become bent, as is shown in Figure 2, so that the arm 20 will move into contact with the segment 16, causing the tooth 22 to engage one of the teeth 18. As more pressure is applied, the object will be firmly gripped by the action of the tooth 22 against the tooth 18. Thus, no matter whether the object be large or small, the handles 6 and 8 will move to substantially the same posi tion before a positive gripping action is exerted on the object. In this manner, the pliers will automatically adjust themselves for objects of various sizes so that the handles 6 and 8 will always be in the optimum position for achieving a firm grip regardless of the size of the article.

In order that the pliers may be stored in a closed position, the arm 28 is provided. When it is desired to store the pliers, it is only necessary to squeeze the handles 6 and 8 to swing pivot point 24 to the left, as viewed in Figure l, and thereby move jaw 12 against jaw 10. The arm 28 can then be pushed into engagement with the tooth 30 to secure the jaws in closed position. When it is desired to use the pliers, it is only necessary to give a slight squeeze on the handles and push the arm 28 out of the way.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a novel pair of pliers which are capable of automatically adjusting themselves to grip objects of various sizes and wherein the handles of the pliers will always be in optimum gripping relationship, regardless of the size of the article being gripped.

I claim:

1. Pliers having a first member having a first jaw portion and a first handle portion with a first pivot point between said jaw and handle portions, a second handle portion, a short arm pivoted at one end to said first pivot point and pivoted at the opposite end to said second handle portion, said second handle portion having a depending arm, said depending arm having a tooth thereon extending toward the first pivot point, a second member having a second jaw portion and an arcuate segment, said segment having a series of teeth thereon, said second member being pivoted between the jaw and arcuate seg ment portion to said first member at said first pivot point, a spring attached to and extending between said depending arm and said arcuate segment, the point of attachment of the spring to the arcuate segment being below an imaginary line drawn between the first pivot point and the point of attachment of the spring to the arm.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first and sec* ond handle portions are normally held apart by a spring.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the depending arm has a second tooth thereon and the first handle por tion has an arm adapted to engage said tooth and hold the jaws of the pliers in a closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,243 Champ Jan. 5, 1915 1,319,946 Bessolo Oct. 28, 1919 1,625,615 Kuttes Apr. 19, 1927 1,820,169 Wingand Aug. 25, 1931 2,391,796 Range Dec. 25, 1945 

